Louis Campau

Who was Louis Campau?

Louis Campau was an important figure in the early settlement of two important Michigan cities.

He established the first trading post at what is today Saginaw, Michigan, as early as 1815. He also fought in the War of 1812 and played a key role in negotiating the Treaty of Saginaw in 1819. This Treaty was made between Gen. Lewis Cass and Native American tribes of the Great Lakes region of Michigan. Native Americans ceded a large tract of land in the central portion of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan.

In 1826, Campau moved South and established a trading post in what is today Grand Rapids, Michigan. Although he was not the first permanent white settler, Campau became perhaps the most important settler of Grand Rapids when, in 1831, he bought what is now the entire downtown business district of that city from the federal government for $90. He is considered the "father" of the town.

Spelling of his surname varies. It is sometimes cited as "Campeau".

He was also good friends with William Quevillon, the first white settler of Ludington, Michigan.